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Gun hearing in state scarred by mass shooting

ELEANOR HALL: The US state of Connecticut has been hosting a public hearing on how to prevent the sort of gun attack which killed 20 students and six adults at one of the state's primary schools last month.

Police officers addressing the meeting argued for tighter gun rules, but members of the firearms industry were also vocal and warned about what they called "quick fix" solutions.

Brendan Trembath reports from the ABC's North America bureau.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Just over a month ago, 20 children and six adults were killed by a gunman at a school in Newtown, Connecticut. Some of the victim's families have testified to a state task force on gun violence prevention.

Neil Heslin spoke about his dead son.

NEIL HESLIN: I'm never going to have my son back, I accepted what happened that day when it happened, I didn't like, I couldn't change it.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: His son Jesse was six years old.

NEIL HESLIN: He wouldn't want me to sit around crying or feeling bad. I'm out trying to do something to help him and to help the other victims.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: The public hearing of the Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety took place in the state capital Hartford, about 75 kilometres from Newtown.

Police also felt a duty to attend the hearing. One police chief called on the committee to ban large capacity magazines and armour piercing ammunition.

Gun control is one of the most divisive issues in the United States.

Lawrence Keene came to the hearing representing gun makers.

LAWRENCE KEENE: We are, like all Americans, deeply saddened by the grotesque and tragic events of December 14th in Newtown, Connecticut.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Mr Keene is a senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

The trade association has had its headquarters in Newtown, Connecticut for more than 20 years.

LAWRENCE KEENE: We are concerned about quick fixes and pursuing policies without giving them due consideration or without considering whether pursuing policies will have an adverse impact on manufacturing jobs in states like Connecticut, without achieving any meaningful effect on reducing violence.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Mr Keene came to the hearing with representatives from gun makers such as Colt and Sturm Ruger. He says the industry has a long history in Connecticut, that 7,300 workers are currently employed in firearms manufacturing.

The US president Barack Obama has made gun control a key second term objective. As the public hearing was taking place in Connecticut, he was starting a meeting with police chiefs from communities scarred by gun violence.

BARACK OBAMA: I'm looking forward to a robust conversation. I know that this is not a shy group, mainly because they're dealing with life and death situations every single day. But I'm very grateful to them for their participation.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: President Obama hopes to harness their authority to achieve his aims.

BARACK OBAMA: Hopefully if law enforcement officials who are dealing with this stuff every single day can come to some basic consensus in terms of steps that we need to take, Congress is going to be paying attention to them and we'll be able to make progress.

There are no guarantees. He wants background checks for all gun buyers and a ban on guns with military features such as large magazines.

But the country's most powerful pro-gun lobby group, the National Rifle Association, says the president's plan would infringe on gun ownership rights protected by the US constitution.